Musical toy



May 8, 1951 B. LEE 2,552,288

MUSICAL TOY Filed April 5, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 84 Tim //9 INVENTOR. BfRfi/A 1 5;

pzt w May 8, 1951 8. LEE

MUSICAL TOY Filed April 5, 1949 :FrE 5 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORA/[YS Patented May 8, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in musical toys and more particularly to toy vehicles that incorporate a music box mounted in a manner adapted to play said music box when the wheels of said vehicle revolve in either direction.

An object of the invention is to provide improved means for mounting a music box upon an axle of a toy vehicle in a manner adapted to revolve, unidirectionally, the pin barrel of a music box, at suitable speed, when the wheels of said vehicle roll in either direction in contact with the floor or other surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for mounting a music box within a toy vehicle in a manner that permits the use of a gear secured directly upon the axle of said vehicle to function as the driving element of the unidirectional gear transmission, whereby the pin barrel of said music box is revolved at suitable speed, when the wheels of said vehicle roll upon the floor or other surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for mounting a music box within a toy vehicle in a manner that permits the use 01' a gear secured directly upon the axle of said vehicle to mesh with the first gear of the unidirectional gear transmission and function as the driving element, whereby the pin barrel of said music box is revolved at a suitable speed, when the wheels of said vehicle roll upon the floor or other surface.

Another object of this invention is to provide improved means for mounting a music box upon a sound board carried by a two or four-wheel vehicle and in a manner that permits the pin barrel of said music box to be revolved unidirectionally, at suitable speed, by a transmission train of gears driven by a gear mounted directly upon the axle of said vehicle.

Another object of this invention is to provide improved means for mounting a music box upon a two or four-wheel vehicle in a manner that permits the use of various forms of housing, that function as a sound board and exterior covering, including the following types: Any vehicle body, or any body having the exterior form of an animal or fowl that may be associated with a toy of the nature disclosed.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

In the accompanying drawings wherein the bodiments according to the present invention have been shown;

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view, part in section, of the embodiment shown Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the embodiment shown Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view approximately along the line 88 Fig. 1, through the housing of said toy and disclosing a music box of substantially conventional form;

Fig. 44A is a fragmentary bottom view of said music box, shown in Figs. 2, 4, 6 and '7, and which shows particularly the common form of worm and worm gear used to drive the pin barrel of the music box disclosed in all embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged diagram illustrating the principles involved in modifying the unidirectional gear transmission to adapt it to be driven by a gear mounted upon the axle of said vehicle.

Fig. 6 is the side view part, in longitudinal vertical section, of another embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 1 is a rear view, part in section, of the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, disclosing the use of a special sound board to mount the said music box, and another method of driving the unidirectional gear transmission from said vehicle.

In Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the invention is shown applied to a toy vehicle in which 9 is an axle of novel form that supports and operates the music box disclosed and also supports the novel exterior. Said axle 3 is carried by the wheels ii! and II, which may be made of wood, metal, plastic or rubber. However, to provide the small tractive force required to drive the pin barrel, it is desirable that the tread portion, as at 12, have the physical properties of elastic rubber, as used in vehicle tires. The wheels may be secured to said axle 9 by any suitable means, as shown flanges l3 and I4 and nut 15 are used for this purpose. In this embodiment, axle 5 becomes a member of the unidirectional gear transmission, consisting of gears with axles located at l6, l1, l8, and i 9, and which are supported by the frame 20, the latter being secured to the main frame 2! of the music box, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. The embodiment shown in Figs. 6 and '7 is a modification of that shown Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. However, the same unidirectional gear transmission is used in all embodimentabut in the four wheel embodiment it is desirable to connect said novel features and construction of specific emgear transmission to an axle of the latter embodiment by means of an additional gear, as later explained by means of the diagram shown in Fig, 5. Said main frame 2i also supports the comb 22, pin barrel 23, and worm gear 26. The worm 25, conjunctive to worm gear 2d, is supported by said frame 29 and the main frame 2|. Said main frame 2! is secured to the exterior housing 26, by means of screws 21, 28 and 253, or any suitable clamping means, in a manner adapted to use a portion 26A of said exterior housing as a sound board for said music box. The said portion 26A of said exterior housing should be of suitable form and thickness to receive and support said main frame 2| in the common manner for use as sound board. The housing 26 should have openings, such as 30 and 36A, to ermit the sound to issue without muffled effect.

The music box mounted on the two-wheel vehicle plays when said vehicle is pushed or pulled by means of the stick ti and said wheels 10 and l l are in contact with the floor or other surface. The diameters of wheels and gear ratios are such as to play the music in proper time, when said vehicle is moved along at the pace of a small child. Likewise, the portion 32, of said stick 3| should be of a size and form. adapted to be gripped by the hand of a small child.

The principles involved and the structure required, to adapt the unidirectional gear transmission to be driven by a minimum number of gears between said transmission and the axle of said vehicle, may be explained by reference to the diagram shown in Fig. 5.

In said Fig. 5, let the circles 2-33, 3 s, and 35, centered at 53 in Fig. 5, represent the addendum, pitch, and dedendum circles, respectively, of said unidirectional gear centered at E9 in Figs; 4 and '6; the circles 36, iii, and 38, centered at l8 in Fig. 5, represent the addendum, pitch, and dedendum circles, respectively, of the intermediate gear centered at is in Figs. 4 and 6; the circles Z9, and ti, centered at ll in Fig. 5, represent the addendum, pitch, and dedendum circles, respectively, of change gear centered at 5'5 in Figs. 4 and 6; the circles d2, t3, and M, centered at It in Fig. 5, represent the addendum, pitch, and dedendum circles, respectively, of gear centered at it in Figs. 4 and 6; and circles 45, 46, and ii, centered at 48 in Fig. 5, represent the addendum, pitch, and dedendum circles, respectively, of the gear centered at 43 in Fig. 6.

It is essential that all gears of said unidirectional gear transmission have the same circular pitch, and it is desirable that gears centered at l9, l8, 5?, and it have the same pitch diameter. When these relations exist, the distance represented by length of the radius 49 will be equal to the sum of the pitch radii of the gears with centers at it and ii; the length of radius 58 will be equal to the pitch radius of gear centered at I 6 plus the pitch diameter of the gear centered at H; and the distance represented by ength of radius 5! will be equal to four times the common pitch radius. The center line l6-52 bisects the arc l9l3'. The change gear, with center at is in neutral position when its center is on the line l6-52. One-half of the length of arcuate slot ll-53 formed in frame 25 and having axle ll extending therethrough should be of such magnitude as will permit the pitch circle 58 of gear centered at I? to become tangent to pitch circle 31, with clearance between addendum 39 and 33; likewise, to permit the pitch circle 40 of gear centered at H d to become tangent to pitch circle 34, with clearance between addendum 39 and 36.

When gear centered at It turns counter-clockwise, said change gear centered at I1 is automatically swung to its position, indicated by H in the diagram of Fig. 5, to mesh with gear centered at it. Likewise, when gear centered at I5 turns clockwise, said change gear centered at it is automatically swung to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 6, to mesh with gear centered at l9.

In the larger sizes, where the music box is mounted on a four-wheel vehicle, installation is simplified in some cases by reducing the axle 9 to a jack shaft, as shown at 9' in Fig. '7, and driving the latter by means of a gear 48, in mesh with gear It, mounted upon an axle 54 of said vehicle, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. This arrangement permits the use of a special sound board 55, and provides for maximum span between bearings upon said axle 5%, as shown at 55 and 51, in Fig. '7

The jack shaft 9 may also be driven from axle Ed by pulley or sprockets mounted upon said members and connected by belt or chain, respectively; or said members 9' and 54 may have crank portions, and operate in unison by a connecting rod, not shown.

The four wheel embodiment may be moved about by means of a cord or cable attached to the end of the vehicle as shown at 58 in Fi 6, or it may be self-propelled by a motor applied to either axle of said vehicle, not shown.

Although specific embodiments of this invention have been described, the real invention that is set forth here is the structural requirements for achieving the conception of unidirectional operation of the pin barrel of a music box by an axle that functions as an element of the unidirectional gear transmission, and provides support for said music box, sound board, and vehicular housing.

Thus, whereas the present invention is capable of considerable modification such changes thereto as come within the scope of the appended claims are deemed to be part of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A musical toy. comprising a hollow toy, an axle for supporting said toy, a pair of wheels fixedly connected to said axle for rotating the same therewith, a gear carried by said axle for being rotated thereby, a music box consisting of a comb and rotatable pin barrel mounted within said toy, a pair of meshed gears rotatably supported in said toy and connected to said pin barrel for rotating the same, a second pair of meshed gears rotatably mounted in said vehicle and one gear thereof being in meshed engagement with said axle supported gear, the other gear of said second pair of gears being slideable upon its axis of rotation and being moved into meshed engagement with one gear of said first pair of gears at a time by the direction of rotation of its driving gears.

2. A musical toy comprising a hollow toy, a music box consisting of a frame mounted Within said toy, said frame having an arcuate slot formed therein, a comb and rotatable pin barrel carried within said toy, a pair of meshed gears rotatably supported on said frame, a worm gear connected to said pair of gears for being driven thereby and to said pin barrel for rotating the same, a change gear, an axle extending through said arcuate slot for rotatably and slideably.

supporting said change gear for meshed engagement With either gear of said pair of gearsya second gear rotatably mounted within said vehicle and in meshed engagement with said change gear and means for rotating said second gear upon movement of said toy on a supporting surface.

BERTHA LEE.

REFERENCES CITED Number Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Hawthorne Sept. 19, 1916 Johnson Oct. 10, 1916 Loram Apr. 23, 1929 Whatley Oct. 21, 1930 Fisher Aug. 10, 1937 Rolland Dec. 21, 1937 Bangser et a1. July 5, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Dec. 31, 1900 

